Vengeance
by Takada Saiko
Summary: Rumplestiltskin and Regina have a testy conversation over daggers, sons, and vengeance as the others take Zelena to her new cell. Spoilers 3x20 Oneshot.


**Vengeance**

His world might as well have come crashing down around him. _Good magic stopped her, and good magic doesn't exact vengeance_. What the hell did she mean by that? He would have expected that sort of lofty speech from the likes of Snow White or her oh-so-wonderful Prince Charming - lofty words that meant nothing and he would have promptly ignored them - but coming from Regina of all people... It was enough to shock him into stopping as much as her command on his dagger had.

_Heroes don't kill._

The more the words rattled around the angrier he got. He held it, though, until he was sure she'd speak honestly with him. There had to be an angle. She was putting on a show to make sure she didn't lose her son for a second time. That was it. That had to be it. That was the only excuse. He could excuse it if it were for Henry's sake.

"A moment, Regina?" he called tightly as they started to lead Zelena away.

She paused, turning to look over her shoulder at him. For the briefest moment he saw the girl he'd first met that had stood in her chambers and called a name she couldn't possibly pronounce. She'd been a bit silly and very, very naive. Dangerously so.

"We'll be along in a minute," she directed towards the others and they nodded slowly. The dagger was still clutched in her gloved hand and she didn't make a move to give it up as she approached, stopping directly in front of him and tilting her head to the side in an impatient gesture.

"Quaint," he murmured. "Now what was that really about?"

"Exactly what I said," she snapped, as if offended that he would question her motives.

"I know you, Regina."

"You know who I _used_ to be."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you change so very much in this past year? The one, by the way, that I've spent as that woman's _slave_? The woman you just let walk away." His words were biting and he wasn't sure when he took the step forward that put him directly into her face.

If he'd had any delusions that she wouldn't know how to wield the Kris Dagger, he found himself very wrong as she lifted it between them and he stumbled back a couple of steps. He pushed down flashes of moments hidden behind the bars of a cage meant to keep animals penned up and the pain that disobedience sent crashing through every fiber of his body. Even a pause was enough to rile Zelena's anger.

"She's not free. They'll lock her up, and I didn't keep you prisoner, Rumple. Don't take it out on me," Regina growled back.

Then the dam broke and he didn't care how bad it hurt. "What if it had been Henry?" he demanded had he could _feel_ her grip on the hilt tighten. He didn't care. He didn't care. He didn't care. "If she'd killed Henry would have stopped at _anything_ to avenge him?"

"Don't you dare-"

"Don't I dare what, dearie? Remind you that Bae was my _son_ and that she _killed_ him? Nothing would have stopped you if it were Henry. Nothing."

"Henry wouldn't want that and neither would Neal."

"You don't know my son."

"Neither do you!"

The words hurt worse than he remembered words ever hurting before in his existence. Perhaps it was the dagger digging them a little deeper into him, twisting and working their way beneath his skin. He'd spent three centuries searching for his boy only to lose him. He'd been willing to give up everything for Bae, but he hadn't expected Bae to do the same in return. He hadn't wanted it. He could never want it, no matter how dark his soul turned.

Regina cringed, taking a step back. "I'm sorry. That was… uncalled for. I understand where you're coming from. I do, but just this once let's try something different. We've spent too many years seeking vengeance and all it's brought is heartache."

Rumpelstiltskin bit back the sharp remark. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered now. Bae was dead. Nothing at all mattered.

The former Evil Queen turned mayor sighed, brushing back her dark hair out of her face with her free hand. "Why don't you head back to your shop? I'm heading back to the hospital. I'll let Belle know you're there."

"And that?" Rumple asked, pointing to the knife. "Shall I be _your_ slave now? Wouldn't Cora be proud?"

Her grip tightened on it again and the fear started to build. He didn't think she'd actually keep it, but even as her lips thinned out he knew she would. "I think this needs to go into safer hands for awhile."

"You can't be serious."

"I am. I'll have Belle meet you at your shop." She grimaced again and Rumplestiltskin couldn't help but feel that, despite everything, she had known him long enough to at least have an inkling as to what she was doing to him in that moment. If she did, it didn't bother her nearly enough. "Go, Rumple."

The order hit deep and his breath caught in it. "This isn't over," he swore and his magic took him to his shop.

* * *

Notes: Obviously, I had some severe issues with the way Regina handled Rumple's dagger and needed to work those out. Ahem. Thanks for reading!


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